Last week, Konami shared the official reveal trailer for SIlent Hill f, the next installment in the long-running psychological horror franchise. A standalone title int he franchise, SIlent Hill f takes place in 1960s Japan. The story follows Shimizu Hinako, a young teenager whose secluded town of Ebisugaoka is consumed by a sudden fog, "transforming her home into a haunting nightmare."
The trailer was accompanied by an intense warning label from Konami that warned of "depictions of gender discrimination, child abuse, bullying, drug-induced hallucinations, torture, and graphic violence."
Apparently, that was just the tip of the ice berg as an ESRB listing for the game includes even more descriptive details about the survival-horror action game. The rating summary reiterates the third-person perspective, while summarizing the gameplay that will see players "explore the town, solve puzzles, interact with characters, and battle enemy creatures (e.g., humanoid monsters, mutants, mythical creatures)."
It goes on to mention cutscenes that "sometimes depict gore and more intense acts of violence." Providing some examples, the rating summary details:
a character burned alive inside a cage; a woman branded by a hot iron; entrails and sinew displayed on serving platters in fantastical celebration/ceremony; a character sawing off her own arm; a character slicing off portions of a character's face during a ritual.
There is also the mention of some nudity, including exposed buttocks and partially exposed breasts. It reads:
Concept art depicts a nude mannequin-like character, with exposed buttocks and partially exposed breasts; the character appears in a creature-like form throughout the game.
The summary also offers insight into some of the action elements. Players will wield axes, crowbars, knives, and spears "to defend against and kill enemy creatures in melee-style combat." Naturally, blood-splatter effects "occur frequently." It also warns that several areas of the environment contain "large bloodstains."
None of this is terribly unexpected for those who are familiar with the SIlent Hill franchise, but I think combined with that intense warning by Konami has led players to believe that this may be the most intense game in the series we've seen in a while.
Silent Hill f is developed by NeoBards Entertainment with a story from writer Ryukishi07, the creator of the acclaimed When They Cry visual novel series. Silent Hill veteran Akira Yamaoka returns as composer for scenes set in the fog world of Ebisugaoka.
There's no mention of a release date in the game's product page or through the ESRB, though some suspect it will launch in Q3 of this year. This estimation is based on timelines for previous games in the SIlent Hill franchise that typically launhced a couple of months after their ESRB ratings popped up.